Tree or stretcher for boots and shoes.



No. 844,786. PATENTED FEB 19,1907.

' c. w. EVANS.

' TREE 0R STRETGHER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

' APPLICATION nun m 16,1906.

2 BETH-SHEET 1.

PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

- W. EVANS. TREE 0R ST CHER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLIOATION IIL MAY 16, 1906.

. 2 BHEETS SHEET 2 UNITE El rarnn'r orrron.

CHARLES WVESLEY EVANS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

TREE OR STRETOHER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES \YnsLnY EVANS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trees or Stretchers for Boots and Shoes and of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved construction of boot tree or stretcher, hereinafter termed stretcher, of that class in which the stretcher is me chanically expanded both in the direction of its length as well as in the direction of its width by the operation of a single operating member. In this class of boot-stretcher mechanism has been heretofore provided by the operation of which the heel portion of the stretcher was caused to travel to the heel end of the boot, and when it contacted therewith the resistance to further lengthwise movement has caused the operatingscrew which has produced the motion to then act to separate the two members of a toe portion, which toe portion was divided longitudinally into two parts. In this arrangement, however, the two toe portions were hinged together, so that when expanded they were turned about such hinge so that the angle between the two toe-pieces was increased, and consequently the said toe-pieces were not expanded in a way to enable them to adapt themselves to the shape or contour of the boot or shoe, and therefore that such an unnatural shape is given to the toe of the boot being stretched. Now my present invention refers to this class of boot-stretcher, but is directed to providing a construction whereby the toepieces when forced out shall accommodate themselves to the natural contour of the toe of the boot, and to this end each toe portion is made so that it is free to rock about a pin while it is forced outward laterally, and therefore is enabled to accommodate itself to the shape of the boot.

My invention therefore consists in the combination and arrangement of the parts by which the end in view is attained.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereon Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of my improved tree or stretcher, showing the stretcher with its parts in those relative Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 16, 1906.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Serial No. 317,056.

positions which they would occupy when introduced into the boot and before any expansion of the stretcher has been effected, Fig. 2 being an inverted plan view of the stretcher shown at Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows the stretcher on a smaller scale with the heel part in the position it would be caused to occupy when the stretcher was about to be inserted into the boot. Fig. 1 is a view similar to that shown at Fig. 1, but illustrating the parts in their expanded posi tions; and Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of the front part of the stretcher shown at Fig. 4 with the toe parts expanded. Fig. 6 is a side elevation, and Fig. 7 an end view, of a lever forming part of the mechanism detached.

For the purpose of this description the stretcher may be said to consist of three main partsvi'/i., a body part 1, a heel part 2, and two toe parts 3 4.

The rear part of the body 1 is formed with a concave curved surface at 5, the heel part 2 being curved approximately to correspond at its forward surface, which surface normally contacts with the curved surface 5 of the body 1, and at the upper end the body has a bracket 6, formed with a slot or hole to receive a metal guide-rail 7, fixed to the forward face of the heel part 2. Thus the said heel part 2 can he slid upward relatively to the body 1, as shown at Fig. 3, to permit of the insertion of the latter into the boot, and then the heel part 2 can he slid or forced downward until it occupies its proper position, as shown in Fig. 1, in the boot, and so the stretcher can be easily inserted.

The forward end of the body part 1 is cut away on each side (see Figs. 2 and 5) to receive the toe parts 3 4, which fit thereinto, and so when the parts are in contact with each other they form together a complete tree, as at Fig. 2.

Each of the toe parts 3 4 has an inwardlyextending bracket 8, carrying a downwardlyextending pin 9 at its inner end, which enters an inclined slot 10 in a sliding plate 11, which is fitted and carried within the forward part of the body portion 1 and is held in place by a cover-plate 12, which is fixed to the under side or sole of the body 1.

The pins 9, extending from the brackets 8, not only pass through the inclined slots 10 in the sliding plate 1 1, but also each pin 9 passes through a slot 13 in the cover-plate 12, such slots 13 extending at right angles to the length of the stretcher, so that upon the sliding plate 11 being moved forwardly or rearwardly itsinclined slots act upon the pins 9 and cause the said pins to be distanced apart or drawn together and guided in their motion by the slots 13 in the cover-plate 12, so that the said pins are forced outwardly or retracted in the direction substantially at right angles to thelength of the bodypart, while at the same time the toe parts from which the pins are carried are able to rock about the axes of the pins, and to thus accommodate themselves to the contour of the toe of the boot into which the apparatus is inserted.

The rear end of the sliding plate 11 is pivoted at 14 to one end of a connecting-rod 15, the other end of which extends into a groove or recess 16, formed in the rear of the body part 1, and is there pivoted to a nut 17, which nut is engaged by a sc ew-threaded spindle 18, extending downward, passing loosely and freely through a hole in the bracket 6 and fitted at its upper end with an operating-handle 19.

The lower end of the screw-spindle, the latter forming the single member by the manual operation of which the expansion of the stretcher in both directions is effected, is shouldered at its lower end and engages in the slotted end of one arm of a lever 20, which is pivoted at 21 between the walls of the slot or recess of the body part 1, and the other arm of the lever 20 is in a position to act against the heel part 2 to force the latter outward and rearward away from the body part. Thelever 20 is shown detached at Figs. 6 and 7 and is formed with a keyhole-shaped slot 22, so that the shouldered lower end 23 of the screw can be inserted at the larger end of the slot and moved to the smaller end.

Rearward of the guide-rail 7 and near the upper end of same the heel part 2 is recessed at 2 1, so that when the heel part is forced down from the position shown at Fig. 3 to that shown at Fig. 1 the rear end of the bracket 6 will enter the recess 24 (because the slot in the bracket through which the rail 7 passes allows of some play) and prevent the heel part 2 rising relatively to the body part 1, when the lever 20 commences its extension movement.

It will now be understood that when the stretcher is to be inserted into a boot its parts are placed in the position shown at Fig. 3, and when inserted the heel part 2 is pressed downward until it assumes the position shown at Fig. 1. Then by operating the motorscrew 18 the end of the lever 20 engaging the shouldered portion of the screw will be distanced from the nut 17, the effect being either to force rearward the heel part 2, and so lengthen the stretcher, or to separate the toe parts 3 4, or to effect both of these operations simultaneously. Thus, for example,

if the length of the stretcher is increased to the length of the boot and then encounters resistance to further expansion in that direction the further effort of the mechanism will be directed to effect the sidewise expansion of the toe parts 3 4 by drawing rearward the sliding plate 11 by means of the connectingrod 15. If, on the other hand, during the expansion of the stretcher the toe parts first enounter resistance to further expansion the operative effect of the mechanism will be devoted to forcing rearward the heel part until it encounters a resistance equal to that of the toe portions, and then any, further efforts of the mechanism due to the continued operation of the handle 19 will take effect both in the longitudinal and transverse directions. A

reverse movement of the motor-screw 18 will retract the movable parts, and the stretcher can be easily extracted from the boot, as will be well understood.

Obviously the body part 1 need not extend between the separable toe parts 3 41; but the separable toe parts themselves alone may compose the toe of the stretcher, the guides, such as the cover-plate 12, extending from the body part 1, being carried in recesses or the like in the toe parts, as will be well understood.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Patent, is

1. In stretchers for shoes; the combination with a body part having a groove formed in its rear end extending from the upper to the lower part of said body, an operating-screw freely located in said groove, a separate heel part, a two-armed lever pivoted in the groove of the body part one arm engaging the aforesaid operating-screw while the other arm is adapted to force the heel part rearwardly, a forward extension of the body having slots extending in the direction of the width of the stretcher, and two toe parts adapted to have movement in the direction of the width, an inward extension on each toe part, and a pin proceeding from each extension entering the slots in the extension of the body part, a nut on the operating-screw, and mechanism connected with the nut for distanc ng the toe parts substantially as set forth.

2. In stretchers for shoes the combination with a body part having a groove formed in its rear end extending from the upper to the lower part of said body, an operating-screw freely located in said groove, a separate heel part, a two-armed lever pivoted in the groove of the body part one arm engaging the aforesaid operating-screw while the other arm is adapted to force the heel part rearwardly, a forward extension of the body having slots extending in the direction of the width of the stretcher, and two toe parts adapted to have movement in the direction of the width, an inward extension on each toe part, and a pin proceeding from each extension entering the ICC.

slots in the extension of the body plate having angularly-diverging slots into which the pins of the toe parts enter, said plate being located above the forward exten sion of the body part and capable of sliding thereon, a nut on the operatingscrew, and a connecting-rod between the nut and the angularly-slotted sliding plate substantially as set forth.

3. In stretchers for shoes; the combination with a body part having a concave rearward surface and a groove formed in said rear surface extending from the upper to the lower part of said body, a heel part having a forwardly-curved front surface and a notch formed near the upper end thereof, a bracket extending rearward from the upper part of the body and having a slot in its rearward extension, and a rail on the heel part extending through said slot to permit of the heel part being slid downward into the shoe after the insertion of the body part and retained in position by the bracket entering the notch; of an operating-screw extending into the body part, two toe parts adapted to have movement in the direction of the width, a forward extension of the body part for guiding the said toe parts in their movements, and mechanism operated by the aforesaid screw for extending the heel and toe parts by balanced motions in the directions of the length and width substantially as set forth.

I. In stretchers for slices; the combination with a body part having a concave rearward surface and a groove formed in said rear surpart, a I face extending from the upper to the lower part of said body, a heel part having a forwardly-curved front surface and a notch formed near the upper end thereof, a bracket extending rearward from the upper part of the body and. having a slot in its rearward extension, and a rail on the heel part extend ing through said slot to permit of the heel part being slid downward into the shoe after the insertion of the body part and retained in position by the bracket entering the notch; of an operating-screw freely located in the rear groove of the body part, a two-armed lever pivoted. in the groove of 1 he body part near the lower end thereof one arm engaging between fixed collars on the spindle of the operating-screw while the other arm is adapted to force the heel part rearwardly, two toe parts adapted to have motion in the direction of the width, a lower forward extension of the body for supporting the toe parts and having guides for guiding the latter during their expansion movements, a plate having angularly diverging slots located above the forward extension of the body part and capable of sliding thereon, a nut on the operatingscrew, and a connecting-rod between the nut and the angularlyslotted plate substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES \VESLEY EVANS. \Vitnesses THOMAS IV. Roenns, WVILLIAM A. MansrmLL. 

